The election remains months away but fundraising efforts are in full swing.

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Obama’s recent endorsement of same-sex marriage may have come at a “risky” time for the administration given the upcoming election and risk of losing conservative Democrats, so why did he do it?

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Did Biden’s comments of acceptance pressure Obama? Was it the constitutional ban of same-sex marriage in North Carolina? Was it just time to stand up for equality despite possibly losing votes?

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The Las Angeles Times suggests that fundraising may have contributed to the decision, “Gay and lesbian support has overwhelmingly benefited Democratic candidates — an alliance bolstered by presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney’s reiteration last week that he opposes same-sex marriage.”

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Less than a half century ago, gay and lesbian donors were turned away from large campaigns as “gay money” was seen as undesirable. Now, as public acceptance for same-sex couples has risen considerably and continues to do so, The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund has become one of Obama’s largest campaign -finance operations.

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The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund works primarily to put openly gay and lesbian lawmakers into office, they have also been notorious for aiding Democrat presidential nominees.
“The LGBT community is sophisticated and organized,” said Perlman, a Los Angeles attorney to the LA Times, “We’re more deliberate in what we’re doing.”

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Washington’s Governor Christine Gregoire, as well as Washington Congressmen Jamie Peterson and Ed Murray have all come forward and thanked Obama for taking a stand for marriage equality.

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Overall, Obama hasn’t received much heat for the decision or timing. It is presumed that due to Romney’s moderate leanings and failure of the Republican Party to remain modern and appealing in terms of social issues, specifically same-sex marriage, that Republican strategists suggested staying away from social issues all together and instead focusing on the economy.

Colleen Fontana

Effort to create awareness around homelessness is spiraling out of control.

But it’s a good thing.

This time it’s a spiral of hope.

Urban Art Concept is partnering with Seattle Parks and Recreation and Seattle University’s Project on Family Homelessness to create a large spiral sculpture in Lake Union Park constructed primarily out of tree branches. Built by volunteers, community members and families who have been affected by homelessness, the project will continue until June 17^th.

According to their website, Urban Art Concept believes the project to be a potential avenue of discussion among communities as well as an opportunity to engage with one another on a different level. It will also provide a unique art attraction to Lake Union Park that will inspire conversation. The 300-foot long spiral will offer a labyrinth-like pathway for quiet contemplation.

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A dumping ground behind the Imperial House

The Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area (CIDBIA) plans to implement a program that will rid the neighborhood’s alleys of trash in hopes of converting the spaces into popular business centers.

Behind the Imperial House, an apartment complex on Main Street, sit 10 or more dumpsters. One of several “dumpster paloozas” in the area, the location has attracted a multitude of illegal dumpings from people both inside and outside of the International District. Overflowing with trash, each dumpster is garnished with a sticker: “Dumping of trash, scavenging and vandalism are illegal and WILL BE PROSECUTED.”

Such signs have done little to ease the neighborhood’s sanitation problem.

“This neighborhood has been a dumping ground for a long time,” said CIDBIA Executive Director Don Blakeney.

To combat this, the CIDBIA plans to implement a mandatory “clear alley program” that will force residents and business owners to keep their trash inside their homes or place of work until a designated pick-up time. He hopes that the program will restore waste-ridden alleys, like Canton Alley, to their former glory as business hubs and focal points within the district.

According to Blakeney, the sanitation problem is largely caused by the fact that many businesses and residents have no where to legally put their trash. Those who do often neglect to lock their dumpsters. As a result, people leave their trash in and around the alleys’ dumpsters–tossing it from their apartments onto the mounds of garbage below or toting their load from blocks away–and the alleys become unusable.

For a neighborhood with over 80 restaurants producing considerable amounts of waste daily, the build up is quite a concern.

In the past, the neighborhood enacted measures to discourage people and businesses from dumping illegally, but many have been inadequate. A shared dumpster program led to a free-rider system in which some businesses paid to legally dispose of their trash while others benefitted from the same dumpsters without contributing a penny to the cost.

A CIDBIA employee also attributed the dumpings to a lack of sanitation education amongst the neighborhood’s elderly population.

At the Imperial House, much of the trash is left by outsiders driving through. A large number of “orphan bags”–small grocery bags filled with trash–as well as items indicative of other Seattle districts suggest that people living and working within the district are not the only ones illegally discarding their waste in the alleys. CIDBIA once found mail addressed to Renton when examining the waste.

Currently, CleanScapes, a Seattle maintenance company and waste collector, picks up litter in the International District, as well as several other city neighborhoods, four days a week. CleanScapes also responds to requests for emergency cleanings within 24 hours.

In terms of human waste, urinating in the streets is a “fact of urban life.” While such actions affect the district, human waste is not a pressing issue. Public restrooms, when unmanned, attracted drug dealing and prostitution, which was ultimately more problematic than public urination.

A video featuring young cancer patients at The Seattle Children’s Hospital dancing and singing along to Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” has captured the eyes of many, including Clarkson herself.

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Why Josh Hamilton could have a record year

On May 8th, Josh Hamilton became the 16th player in Major League Baseball history to hit four home runs in one game, and the first since Carlos Beltran in 2003. Two games later against Baltimore, Hamilton hit another. And then last night Hamilton hit two against the Angels, followed by one today, bringing his total to a league leading 18 home runs through 34 games. On top of that, Hamilton is batting a league leading .402, has 41 RBI’s and has an on base plus slugging rate of 1.336. To put that in perspective, throughout the entire season last year, the most RBI’s that anyone brought in was 126. At the current pace that Hamilton is hitting at, he is on track to hit 81 home runs and 196 RBI’s. While that is not necessarily reasonable, it does shine a light on the impressive start that Hamilton is having this year. One must wonder though, given that Hamilton has made strong contributions in the past, but not put up numbers like this, why Hamilton is having such a strong start. The first, and most obvious answer is that Hamilton is in a contract year. Negotiations were halted when Hamilton, who has a checkered past of drug addiction and alcoholism, relapsed with alcohol in February. Since then, negotiations have reopened, but little is known about what Hamilton’s worth will be to Texas, but estimates range from between 20-30 million dollars, with time ranges around the 5 year guarantee mark. This compares with the offers for other game-changing sluggers Prince Fielder, 9 years roughly 24 million per year, and Albert Pujols, 10 years, 240 million. While Hamilton compares in terms of individual production, team results, and leadership, the uncertainty about his past and future may hold Texas back from locking him up long term. But, with back-to-back trips to the World Series, young pitching talent in Yu Darvish, and two of the games best hitters in Michael Young and Hamilton, Texas can hardly afford to let him go. Hamilton insists that he is not producing based on it being a contract year, and frankly I believe him. With a past like his, and a present that has been a joy to watch, I can’t help but want Hamilton to succeed just to succeed. That being said, I believe that Hamilton will have a career season this year, especially if he can manage to stay healthy for the majority of the regular season. The past two years, Hamilton has missed a combined 70 games the past two seasons, as well as nearly half in 2009. Despite the amount of time Hamilton spent out of the lineup, he brought in just 5 RBI’s less than Albert Pujols. In his first season with the Rangers, Hamilton played in 156 games, batted .304 with 32 homeruns and 130 RBI’s. Comparing that to his 2010 production with 32 home runs as well as 100 RBI’s, there is no telling what the limit could be to his success this year. He already has half of those season totals in home runs, and is batting .395 on the year. Hamilton has proven that when he is hot, he is really dangerous, evidenced by his 28 home run first round in the 2008 home run derby. While it may be a streak to start the season, and Hamilton likely can’t keep this production up, it will be interesting to see when he does finally slow down, where he ends up, and how much pressure it puts on Texas to keep him in blue.

For more insight check out the vid:
No Stopping Him

It’s finally springtime! What better way than to brighten up your room by displaying the different flowers in bloom? Below, I will show you how to make hanging vases out of light bulbs.

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John J. Overly's gorgeous cover to Dog Shredder's new EP, Brass Tactics.

“Prog” and “metal” are two words I rarely like seeing paired together. It conjures images of clean-shaven dudes with Dream Theater t-shirts talking about “sick time-signature changes”. I’ve always found that technicality in metal doesn’t produce the same effect as simply having good riffs. So it’s nice when a band like Dog Shredder comes around and slaps me in the face with progressively minded music that also makes me want to kick doors down and punch authority figures.

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